BackNarendra Modi meets President Ram Nath Kovind, stakes claim to form government
President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Modi to the office of the Prime Minister of India, and asked him to decide the council of ministers and the date of his swearing-in ceremonyIn the first back-to-back majority in LS polls for a single party in over three decades, the BJP won 303 seats out of 542
PremiumPresident Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form the government at the Centre for a second consecutive term with Modi pledging to work for the security and prosperity of all after the the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with a massive mandate.
Modi, late Saturday, met the president to stake claim to form the government after a delegation of senior leaders of the NDA met the president and handed over letters of support. Those who met the president included BJP party president Amit Shah, Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal, Janata Dal United leader Nitish Kumar, Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal besides BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj.
In a statement, Kovind’s office said that the president exercising powers vested in him under Article 75 (1) of the Constitution of India “appointed Narendra Modi to the office of Prime Minister of India."
Kovind also requested Modi to “advise him about the names of others to be appointed members of the Union Council of Ministers; and indicate the date and time of the swearing-in-ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the statement from the president’s office said.
Modi was formally invited to form the next government “when he called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan today in his capacity as leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, which has majority support in the House of the People following the general election to the 17th Lok Sabha," the statement said.
“A letter stating that Shri Narendra Modi has been elected leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party was handed over to the President. Letters of support from NDA constituent parties were also handed over to the President," the statement said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the president, Modi acknowledged the “massive mandate" given to him and his party by the people and said that there were a lot of hopes and aspirations of the people attached to this. “Our government is committed to work for the creation of a new India, especially when the country looks to mark 75 years of independence in 2022," he said.
The year 2019 was a year of a lot of opportunities given that it was the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth and the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birth, Modi said. “There are a lots of opportunities in the world for India and we should ensure that we do not lose these opportunities," the prime minister said. “Development for all and trust of all is a mantra that shows us the way forward, for the development of all segments of Indian society. We also have to move forward with the commitment of security and prosperity for all," he added.
Modi’s BJP- led NDA returned to power on Thursday winning 353 seats, beating its previous tally of 336 seats. The BJP alone won 303 seats, a considerable increase from the 282 seats it had won the last time.
Earlier on Saturday, NDA alliance partners from both the Houses of Parliament met in the Central Hall of Parliament where Modi was elected leader of the NDA's parliamentary party. He was then authorised him to stake claim to form the government.
Speaking to the NDA members, Modi said that MPs should not differentiate between people on the basis of caste, region and religion and it was the responsibility of all to not just work for those who have faith in us but also try to win the trust of others. Talking about the work done for the socially and financially weaker section of people in the first five years of the NDA, Modi said that the message for the coming five years was not just development for all but also to win the trust of everyone.
"We are for the 130 crore people of the country, we cannot differentiate between anyone. We cannot differentiate on the basis caste and religion or region. We have shown how to achieve Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (development for all) and now we have to win Sabka Vishwas (trust of everyone). We are for the people who trusted us and those whose trust we need to win. Nobody should be 'other' for us. It takes a lot of strength to try and win the hearts of people," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the parliamentary party meeting of the NDA.
Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora along with two election commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a copy of the notification which contains the names of all the members elected to the newly elected 17th Lok Sabha.
According to a press release from KOvind's office, the president congratulated all the three officials for "successful completion of the electoral process" as well as thanking voters who participated in polling.
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